The Feminine Aspect of Tibetan Buddhism Essay

Introduction

One of the inspiring stories of the first of enlightened females in the literature is of Princess Yeshe Bawa who was a follower of the Buddha of her time and was determined to become enlightened. At that time the religious leaders did not believe enlightenment could come to one in a female body and advised her to pray to be reborn into a male body. She persisted however and progressed from being a bodhisattva to being a fully enlightened Buddha whom we nowrefer to as Tara. (p.17)

Main text

Tara is a manifestation of the absolute, open, and spacious nature of mind often called the Great Mother. She is generous with her gifts: she heals, purifies, protects, increases good, and magnifies the beneficial. We see in the images which focus on these aspects the benign and peaceful aspects of deities who approach us at the beginning of the Tibetan Book of the Dead (p. 2 TBD). She also exhibits aspects of the more wrathful deities later in the book. She dispels, destroys, and crushes the negative. (TEA). Ultimately she assures us of non-duality based on either sex, geography, tradition, custom, intellectual or social systems. We are led by her to help all living beings, seen or unseen. We are encouraged to be loving, compassionate, courageous, and committed.

The relevance of her activities is perhaps more important now than at any of the past millennia of her worship. She is involved in stopping wars. This is the focus of many modern women. As natural caregivers, we try to encourage by healthy habits the longevity she granted. As we nurse those who are ill we do our best to cure as she did. More than that we try to encourage bravery and approach life fearlessly. She shed the light of her illumination upon the causes of fear and dispelled them. Thus can we acquire mental peace.

Without fear, we can look realistically upon the world and ourselves and can see both our inner selves and the outer world clearly. Modern psychology teaches us that stress, fear, and conflict can cause not only spiritual but also physical ills. The images which Tara presents give birth to and develop our enlightened minds, and reconnect us with the enjoyment, relaxation, and freedom from the confusion that our modern world and many obligations can produce. Her smile, truthfulness, and positive image can bring forth the goddess within us, and help us to see, not our own ego-centered world, but the greater unity of all things.

Further our centeredness upon such a positive image can help us toward the five perfections as teachers and students in the right place upon the right occasion with the right content to convey and absorb. As proof let us examine the manifestations of Tara in her manifestations as shown in the “Twenty-one Praises to Tara”.

1. The Nobel lady Tara Nyuma Pama holds a conch shell that is used to trumpet religious practices, which, if we may imply from her activities, frees heroically from suffering. This teaches us to persevere in our religious practice.
2. The Nobel Lady Loter Yangehenma carries a mirror with which to see things as they really are, and her association with the sound of creation implies an understanding of peace, harmony, truth, and wisdom. This teaches us that creation was intended to be peaceful and harmonious and to seek these things is a key to truth and wisdom
3. The Nobel Lady Sonam Tobché carries a wish-fulfilling jewel that increases merit and prosperity. From this image, we realize that both merit and prosperity are worthy goals.
4. The Nobel Lady Tsugtor Namgyalma carries a nectar vase which increases life force and longevity. We learn from this to focus our life force and to admire and seek longevity.
5. The Nobel Lady Wangdü Rigjé Lhamo carries a bow and arrow which reminds us to focus on beneficial wisdom.
6. The Nobel Lady Jigjé Chenmo carries a dagger used to subdue demons, such as those that are imagined or which plague the mentally ill. It represents firmness of spirit and spiritual power.
7. Our Lady Zhengyi Migyalma carries a flaming sword that destroys internal and external artifices, reminding us to rid ourselves of the obsession with things.
8. Our Lady Zheng Migyalma carries a flaming vajra to inspire in us the correct upright posture for thought and meditation, that we may destroy bad thoughts and subdue illusions.
9. Our lady Sengdering Nafchi carries a dharma wheel, helping us to realize the unity of all creation and protect us from outer and inner fears.
10. Our Lady Jigten Sumlé Gyalma carries the victory banner, which symbolizes freedom from worldly distractions and from arrogance, making us humble.

Conclusion

These are examples of the symbols which the aspects of Tara can lend us to inspire and strengthen our daily lives. There are, in total, twenty-one. By meditating on each in turn, we can remind ourselves of the proper pathway and of the gifts within us. One’s religion does not really matter. There is value here for all.